Pacers Turner and Allen prepare to face their old team

By Keith Pompey, Inquirer Staff Writer

The outspoken Indiana Pacers reserve forward took an inadvertent shot at the 76ers' sparse crowds while commenting on Pacers coach Frank Vogel.

"Frank is kind of a quiet guy," the former Sixer told the Indianapolis Star on Thursday. "Sometimes, I'm on the other side of the court and he doesn't have [a loud voice].

"In Philly, those gyms are empty so I can hear anybody talking. If somebody calls a play out, everybody hears it. But these games are packed, so sometimes it's hard to hear."

Losers of 18 straight, the Sixers average 13,612 fans at home games, which ranks next to last in the NBA ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (13,215).

Turner probably will hear a lot of good and bad things from Sixers fans at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. The matchup between the Pacers (47-17) and the Sixers (15-49) will mark the first time he and reserve forward Lavoy Allen face their former team. The two were traded to the Pacers for Danny Granger and a second-round pick on Feb. 20.

Indiana reserve center Andrew Bynum, another former Sixer, will not play Friday.

The Sixers acquired Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade in August 2012. Bynum, who made $16.9 million last season, never played for the Sixers because of chronically injured knees.

He signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer before being traded to the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 7. Bynum was waived the same day in a cost-cutting move. He signed with Indiana on Feb. 1 and made his Pacers debut Tuesday.

Of the three former Sixers, Turner is receiving the most playing time. But it's far from what he was accustomed to before the trade.

Turner, who will become a free agent at season's end, averaged a team-leading 17.4 points as the Sixers' go-to guy. He is averaging 9.1 points while playing 22.8 minutes per game off the Pacers bench.

"Anybody that steps into our culture has to understand that the team comes first, and that's clear the moment they set foot in our building and get around our players and our leaders," Vogel told the Star. "I think he sees that very clearly, and obviously, that's the right way to approach free agency - to just help the team win."

Allen has seen limited action in three games.

New Sixer?

The Sixers plan to sign Darius Johnson-Odom to a 10-day contract, according to Yahoo Sports. The guard plays for the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League.